Central panel to weigh AFSPA rollback
Mukesh Ranjan
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 26
The Centre has decided to constitute a five-member panel to look into the demand for the withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from states in the North-East region.
Botched op: 14 civilians killed in early Dec
- Fourteen civilians were killed in a botched counter-insurgency op earlier this month in Nagaland’s Oting village that triggered a demand for withdrawal of the AFSPA.
Personnel being probed face suspension
- A court of inquiry will initiate disciplinary proceedings against the Army personnel involved in the Oting incident.
- The identified persons facing the probe will be placed under suspension with immediate effect, Nagaland Chief Minister said.
Announcing this, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, in an official statement (a copy of which is with The Tribune), said the Centre had decided “to institute a five-member committee to look into the withdrawal of AFSPA from northeastern states”.
The panel will be headed by Vivek Joshi, Secretary (Border Management), MHA, and will include Additional Secretary (North-East), MHA, Nagaland Chief Secretary and DGP and the Assam Rifles Director General.
Rio further said the committee would submit its recommendations within 45 days, based on which the Centre will decide whether to continue to designate Nagaland as a “disturbed area” or withdraw AFSPA from the state.
The statement was jointly issued by Rio, Deputy CM
Y Patton and leader of Naga People’s Front Legislature Party TR Zeliang in Kohima.
The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on December 23 to discuss the present situation in Nagaland. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convener, was present during the deliberations too.
“A court of inquiry will initiate disciplinary proceedings against the Army unit and personnel who were involved in the Oting incident and action will be taken on the basis of a fair probe. The identified persons facing the investigation will be placed under suspension with immediate effect,” the statement read. “The undersigned is grateful to the Union Home Minister for taking the matter with utmost seriousness and appreciates the Government of India for taking the required steps to ensure justice and also for positively responding to the voice of the people,” it further read.
Fourteen civilians were killed by security forces in firing incidents in Mon district earlier this month.
